Joseph Peggs was born in Dublin Ireland in about 1775 according to the book "Kentuckians in Ohio and Indiana" by Stuart Seeley Sprague. He married Nancy Cunningham, who was born in Pennsylvania. Ernest G. Maddox memoirs states that Joseph's wife was Annie with no last name given. Annie was a common nickname for Nancy, so I believe we have the same woman.

The Memoir also states that Joseph Peggs was born in Dublin, went to London and then to American. He must have been in Pennsylvania by 1792. He married Nancy Cunningham in Pennsylvania. .

In 1792 the area north of the Ohio River beyond PA was not open.  There was a war with the Indians of the area that was finally settled in 1795 with the Treaty of Greenville by General Anthony Wayne making much of Ohio available for settlement.  And that meant that the Ohio River was open as a "relatively" safe passage west.  Boatworks in the Pittsburg area was the number 1 business between 1790 and 1810.  Once the river was open, those flatboats were loaded and the flow was westward.  from History of Ohio on wikipedia  & A Very Short History of Pittsburg  in the Pittsburg Quarterly. also found online.

It may be that Joseph had married Nancy further East in Pennsylvania but it is also possible that as a young man he went as far west in PA as he could go, meeting her there.   Julia Mortenson has purposed that her family was in Washington County (Western PA) very early.  Still details to be worked out.  But whatever the story Joseph and Nancy had 2 children in PA (1793 & 94)  and a third in Henry Coutny KY 1797/8.  that means they were ready to go when the River passage opened up.

Julia Mortenson does a lot of research on the Maddox and adjunct families, including the Peggs.  She found a Bio on William McGregor on the Marion County Indiana website.   The site now requires a password. end of 2011  It is worth keeping for the clue it provides.   Mr. McGregor had married  "Frances M. Pegs, daughter of Joseph A. Peggs a granddaughter of Joseph Peggs."  It stated that Joseph Peggs had witnessed the sinking of the Royal George. The Royal George was a large British ship that was undergoing repairs in Portsmouth Harbor when he suddenly sank on August 29, 1782.  The story from our modern eye is amazing.  It had a crew of over 800 men.  While it was undergoing repairs they and friend and family were all on board!  The ship had been heeled over to expose a leak for repairs, there was a loud crack and it immediately sank. Nearly 1400 people died in the disaster. or 800 depending on which story you find.  One of the stories can be found on the
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Royal_George_%281756%29    If Joseph was born about 1775 as implied, then he would have been only 7/8 years old when he saw the sinking of the ship.  That means he was probably traveling with relatives.

According to the LDS IGI Kentucky listing Joseph Peggs and Nancy Cunningham had the following children: (I've place a * by those also listed in the Memoir
and a **by info added by Julia Mortenson):
1. Rachel born June 9, 1793 in Penn * wed Wm. McClellan.
2. Jacob born Oct 20, 1794 in Penn *, wed Martha Wooten Tracy, March 4, 1824 in Oldham county KY**.
3. Ellen born 1797or8 in Kentucky. * wed Wm. Campbell.
4. Catherine born tween 1797 in Oldham Ct * "Kitty" wed  Bailor Hoskins Feb. 6, 1821
5. Mary born about 1802 in Henry Ct Kentucky *Mary wed George William Estes in 1823.
6. Sarah Ann born 1806 in Henry Ct. * Sarah wed Johnathan Cox.
7. Joseph born Oct 24, 1807 in Henry Ct.* wed Mary Ann McCready June 9, 1833 Mason County KY **
8. Nancy born 1808 in Henry Ct. * wed Joseph Greenwood.
9. John Francis born 1809 Henry Ct. died as Dr. Peggs in Franklin Indiana on Oct. 28, 1857. wed Sarah Louise Gex, Nov 14, 1833 Gallatin county KY.
10 Evan Owen born Sept 14, 1814 in Henry Ct. wed Margaret H. Hunter June 14, 1845** probably in Johnson County Indiana
11. Thomas born about 1815 in Henry Ct.
12. William Archibald born about 1818 in Henry Ct. * Will, wed Elizabeth Ware Blanton Aug.24, 1842 Owens County Ky, 2nd wed Susan Snead Blanton,     Aug 21, 1845 Owen County Ky.

I don't know if the Blanton women were sisters, or widows of brothers. Catherine's birth date is derived from her tombstone that said she was 94 when she died in 1892.

Julia has found Joseph Pagg on the Henry County Ky tax list, dated 8/6/1800.  This may have been where they came to from Pennsylvania. He is listed on most of the yearly Henry County Tax lists from 1800 to 1814.  1800 and 1801  he was said to be on Locust Creek. This is a short creek going into the Ohio East of Milton.  1802 and 1803 he is on the Little Kentucky River, which meanders south of Bedford in the center of the county. 1812, Henry county Tax list he has 190 acres and 5 horses, but I can't read the water course.  1814 he is said to be on Barebone Creek with 190 acres, which is west of Bedford.  So he was probably there in 1812 also. 1800 - 1804 he also had a town lot, value not high and it didn't say which town.  Values ranged from 8 to 47 (dollars?).  1814 he is also listed with a town lot valued at 1110 (dollars?).  Julia, believes it possible that he was a shoemaker and maybe in 1814 he had a well established shop.

The Tax list shows that in 1811 he had a black under 16.  The 1808-1810 Tax lists could not be found.  It is possible that the slave was there also,
but the slave was gone by 1812

 The 1810 Henry Ct. Kentucky census lists Joseph as Head of Household with 2 males under 10, 1 male 10-16 and 1 male 26 - 45 and 3 females under 10, 2 females between 10-16, 1 female 16-18 and a female 26-45. They had 1 slave.

The 1820 Henry Ct. census list Joseph as Head of Household with 3 males under 10, 2 males 10-15, 1 male 16-26 and 1 male 26-45, 4 females under 10, and 1 female 10-16 and 1 women over 45.  It also states that 1 person in the household was foreign-born (Joseph) and 1 person in commerce.

On Sept 22, 1827, there is a deed granting Joseph Peggs 200 acres on the Little Kentucky river for $1.  Henry County Ky Deed Book A, page 448/9.  On Feb. 2, 1831 Joseph Peggs sells the 200 acres to his son-in-law Baylor Hoskins for $400. Oldham county Ky Deed Book B., page 228.  I do not believe that Joseph have a $399 profit on the deal. I believe there was a previous deed to the land, and something was not right legally so the 1827 deed made it clearly legal.  However, we need to find the previous deed.  There is also the Barebone land, where we believe he had been living since 1812, but no deed has turned up for that property either.

The 1830 Oldham county Ky Census list Joseph Peggs, Head of Household with 1 male 10-14, 2 males 15-19, 1 male 20-29 and 1 male over 70. 1 female 5-9, 2 females 20-29, 1 female 60-70. I believe The "over 70" must be a recording error of  the census taker, or the 2 previous census' understated his age. The only child that doesn't fit the list of children above is the female 5-10. 

In February 1832 Nancy Peggs  appeared before the Oldham County Court to relinquish her dower rights to the land Joseph Peggs had purchased on the Little Kentucky River but had sold the year before to Baylor Hoskins, their son-in-law.  Oldham County Deed Book B, page 466. Balyor was selling the land at this time.  She was called "Consort" of Joseph Peggs, so we know he was still alive at that time.

Shortly after the real estate transactions Joseph and Nancy Peggs moved to Indiana. Joseph is not found on a census again. 

According to the Indiana census record, in 1830 the oldest son, Jacob, was living in Marion County Indiana.    Many of their children ended up in Johnson County Indiana. Rachel and William McClellan are on the 1870 Census, Jacob Peggs is on every Census through 1880 when he was living with John F. McClellan - hotel keeper.. Also found are Joseph,  Thomas, Evan and John F. The 1840 Indiana Census, Johnson County has Evan Peggs a single man with a  woman 70-80 was living with him.  This was most likely Nancy.  Except for Rachel, I could not find the daughters in Indiana.

Joseph Peggs died in Johnson county Indiana.  It is not known exactly when. His stone was recently found, in poor condition in the Glade-Dobbin Cemetery. We know it was after February, 1832.  The stone has the date of death on it, but it is unreadable.  Some read it as 1836, others as 1846.   Nancy died in July 1840 and is buried in the Glade-Dobbin cemetery.  According to the Clark Township, Johnson County Indiana Cemetery Listing 2000.  She was 71 years old.  Near by is their son Thomas Peggs died April 1836, age 25 and  grandson, Alfred, son of Joseph and MA Peggs.  He died in 1855.

In 1850 Jacob Peggs was in Johnson Ct, Indiana, age 55, listed as an Innkeeper. Also there were his brothers Joseph Peggs, age 43 listed as a shoemaker and John F. Peggs age 41. 

I believe there were Peggs, Greenwood and Maddox families that moved about the same time to Indiana. Some of the family stayed there, such as Nancy's older brothers, and Daniel Maddox while other families returned to Kentucky.

If you know the answer please CONTACT US.

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Doc; gxpeg020
Date created: 12/21/2011
Date edited  5/18/2013
Date edited 11/29/2013
Date edited 6/21/2014
Date edited 8/23/2014
Date edited 4/20/2023